Cypress Mountain

Situated in Cypress Provincial Park, Cypress Mountain is a convenient half-hour drive north of Vancouver city centre and is a must on any winter itinerary. With an unrivalled topography and exceptional facilities, it’s no wonder that Cypress Mountain played host to the 2010 Winter Olympics freestyle skiing and snowboarding events.

This ski and snowboarding mecca is famed for its 53 alpine ski runs traversing 240 hectares of unparalleled terrain, not to mention the heart-stopping 610-metre vertical rise – the highest of its kind on the north shore. Nine lifts, six chair lifts and three surface lifts, allow for easy access to the most inaccessible sections. In addition, 19 kilometres of trails make for an impressive cross-country winter terrain that will test the mettle of even the most hardened adrenaline junkie.

Cypress Mountain is divided into two distinct sections, an Alpine area and a Nordic area, and is renowned for its wide variety of excellent facilities which cater for all kinds of ability, from the ambitious daredevil to the nervous novice.

The resort also offers visitors much more than just the traditional ski experience, as those who try their hand at Night skiing will testify. Nothing quite beats swishing down the slopes in the dead of night; this is one activity that you have to tick off the list while in the area.

If you are feeling particularly confident about your navigational abilities, make sure you book one of the Snowshoe Tours. These self-guided tours take visitors across a network of marked trails within the Nordic Area before leading to Hollyburn Lodge where a hot drink and delicious meal await.

If your legs are starting to ache you have the perfect excuse to visit the Snow Tube Park. Here visitors can sit back in chutes and enjoy the thrill of speeding effortlessly down the slopes.

Cypress Mountain also has four Freestyle Terrain Parks that offer a variety of activities for all kinds of visitors. The family-friendly Stomping Ground is designed to introduce newcomers to the concept of park riding while The District is home to the park’s main jump line. Test your skating skills in the Skate Park or practise your landings on the inflated Mini LP 2.0 Airbag in Patio Park before making your way over to the Cypress Creek Lodge for some well-deserved refreshment. Here, the Cypress Creek Grill and the Crazy Raven Grill both offer tantalising après-ski delights.

The Cypress Mountain Snow School is adept at catering for novices of every age and every level, offering a wide range of group tutorials, drop-in classes and private tuition. The Cypress Skooters programme is perfect for the little ones while older children can hone their technique in the Raven Riders Youth Camp. Alpine Rental will take care of all your equipment needs, from skis and boards to blades and more, leaving visitors with only one dilemma – where do we begin?